DIY Webpage Part 1: Blogs vs Static Websites

How do you establish and maintain the lines of communication between home and school? As educators, we all know that communication between home and school is essential, but actually ensuring that consistent communication happens can be challenging. One easy way to communicate is through a class website, but the thought of actually starting one can be daunting. Over the next several articles, I will address the various types of websites a teacher could create, the possible pages to include, the possible sites to use in order to create your class website, and helpful hints for creating a website.

Let's start with the types of websites a teacher could use in order to facilitate communication between home and school. Essentially, there are two main formats for websites—blogs and static websites. Let's take a look at both types.

What is a Blog?

A blog is a particular type of website. A blog, short for a web log, typically provides a type of commentary or diary on a subject. Frequently, the author posts various entries, which are then arranged in reverse chronological order from when they were posted. In other words, the newest entry at the top. Entries are commonly tagged (titled) so that one can search for particular topics, thus eliminating the need to scroll through each and every post. These tags can be highly beneficial because they alert the reader that a new entry has been posted. It is like your website changes every time a new entry is created, this what makes a blog a dynamic website and is what sets it apart from a static webpage.

What is a Static Webpage?

Laid out in a different format, a static webpage does not change every time the author adds something new. This form of webpage will have a menu on the home page with links to other pages where content can be added as the author chooses. Visitors can click on the menu, and then select links such as "Homework" or "FAQ's" to gain access to other pages. This type of format is more similar to that of a company's website. 

Who Will Be Viewing My Website?

What is the purpose of your site? Who is your audience? Your audience could include the following people:

• Other teachers
• Students
• Parents
• School or district administrators
• Community members

The decision as to whom you want to reach correlates with the purpose for your website.  Do you seek to give other teachers ideas about what they can do in their classroom? Many links to teacher websites that are posted on Pinterest come from this type of website: a class website designed with the purpose of sharing with and inspiring other educators. Or perhaps, your purpose is to provide your students with general helpful links or information on nightly homework. In this case, your students are your audience. However, you should think about whether you will be expecting parents to watch this site for volunteer information, because if you do, then your audience is both parents and pupils. Another use for your website is to give administrators and/or community members an inside look into your classroom. Once you have determined the audience and purpose of your website, you are ready to choose whether to use a blog or a static website.

Which Format Should I Use?

At this point, you are ready to consider whether you would like to create a blog or a static website. Here are some common uses for a blog:

• To provide ideas to other teachers
• To update outsiders, such as parents and community members, of things happening in their classroom
• To document events throughout the year in a classroom

For a static website, here are some frequent purposes:

• To provide general information pages, such as a lunch menu and homework help for students and parents
• To organize various resources, such as math resources versus science resources

How Do I Update a Blog vs a Website?

For you, the teacher, a blog is easier to keep current than a website. This is because you can simply type in your new posts; you can even update your blog from a mobile device. It is simple because there is only one screen to work with. However, for your viewers, a website is generally more user-friendly. For many visitors to a static website, it can be easier to use if they are seeking specific information. Generally, your audience simply clicks a link to find the information they are seeking. These links are always the same, the information on the page it links to might be changed, but the actual format/links are pretty much static all year. At times, selecting the various links to make changes and updates will take significantly more time than updating a blog. However, once you do it several times, it will get easier and you will get faster. Generally, it's best to use the format that works best for your audience because no matter which format you choose, you will soon be able to work on it quickly and efficiently.  

Next article: We are going to look at the various pages you can include in a static website.

Related Resources:

The Paperless Classroom: Websites That Help You Go Digital, Ways to Improve Parent/Teacher Communication, Translating Teacher Talk